Free Flight Scale - 2010/12

142 MODEL AVIATION
Some of the best chuckles of the 2010 Flying Aces Club
(FAC) Nats, held in Geneseo, New York, July 14-17, resulted from
the delightful pilot figures in some of the best models at the
contest.
Tom Hallman’s Pioneer Scale-winning Blériot 25 had a full
fuselage, but the pilot figure was a flat, colored photo of Louis
Blériot that looked tantalizingly three-dimensional. The model was
magnificent, but the pilot was a masterful finishing touch that
captivated appreciative onlookers.
Rich Weber added an even more brilliant touch to his FAC
Rubber Scale-winning Yak BB-22. He not only fashioned threedimensional
crew figures, but he also slyly placed a miniature copy
of a period Flying Aces magazine in the hands of the crew member
in the aft cockpit! This thrilled spectators and, like a pinch of an
exotic ingredient, made the model all the more enjoyable.
You’ll be able to read more about the 2010 FAC Nats in a
feature article that is scheduled for the February 2011 MA.
Inspired by Tom and Rich, I am going to share my thoughts on
crews and cockpit interiors for FF Scale aircraft. FAC rules do not
require pilots. As one who builds mostly
Scale rubber-powered FF types, I believe
that a representation of flight-crew
members and their immediate surroundings
is a prerequisite to maximizing “scale
effect” in a model.
Exciting crew figures at this year’s FAC Nats
[[email protected]]
Free Flight Scale Dennis Norman
Also included in this column:
• Crew-member figures and
cockpit details
• Jack McGillivray remembered
• Juanita Reichel retires as
Flying Aces Club News editor Dennis at the moment of truth with his scratch-built 1/24-scale B-17F. A crew was
unnecessary for this rubber-powered FF beast, but it added considerably to the thrill of
close-up inspection. Phillip Weinstein photo.
With kind permission from the National Museum of the US Air
Force in Dayton OH, the author photographed and measured the
cramped cockpit in a Ju 88. He used sketches and diagrams to
further document the airplane’s details.
German drawing shows typical locations of Ju 88 crew members
during flight. As a result of the astonishing arrangement in such close
quarters, the RAF lampooned those crews with bawdy cartoons and
suggestive commentary. Drawing from German Archives.
The Ju 88’s four-man crew receives last-minute orders before
boarding for a long mission. As is the model, the scratch-built
figures are 1/24 scale. They range in height from 25/8 to 27/8 inches
and are articulated to fit in their positions.
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Those who build static-display airplanes have an excuse for
omitting pilot and crew figures. Doing so gives admirers a chance
to better view the exquisite interior details of an aircraft.
Since static scale models are usually presented at rest, their
crew figures are arguably unnecessary. By contrast, an airplane
Tom Hallman’s magnificent Blériot 25 flew brilliantly and won FAC Pioneer Scale at the
2010 FAC Nats. The striking pilot is a colored photograph of Louis Blériot; it looks threedimensional
even though it is not. Vic Nippert photo.
December 2010 143
Rich Weber’s YAK BB-22
prototype won FAC Rubber
Scale at the 2010 FAC Nats.
Of particular interest are
the crew figures; the one in
the aft cockpit is reading a
Flying Aces magazine!
Maxecuters photo.
The late Jack McGillivray, who was famous
for contest-winning minimalistic creations,
represented Canada in 25 international
championships and was a member of the
Model Aeronautics Association of Canada
Hall of Fame. Roy Bourke photo.
Building models is not only for kids! Eightysix-
year-old John Orris of the CFFS poses
with his scratch-built Martin 130 “Panama
Clipper” flying boat, which is on display in
Independence OH. He still builds today.
Independence Historical Society photo.
Would Doolittle’s B-25 be as impressive if all crew spaces were empty? All FF Scale
models benefit from the extra effort required to simulate a flight crew and visible cockpit
structures. Weinstein photo of Norman model.
that is destined to fly should include a representation of the flight
crew. Vacant crew positions should be avoided unless one is
flying a model of a drone.
There are many ways to simulate pilots and crew members in
FF models. A simple profile pilot would be appropriate for a No-
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Cal, sheet glider, etc. Tom’s impressive
Blériot has a built-up fuselage with a
profile pilot.
A drawing of the crew may suffice for
a profile fuselage. Added realism can be
obtained by depicting such details as
headrests, visible portions of ejection
seats, radios, antennas, etc. The effect
becomes even more dramatic when you
paint or color crew members and their
surroundings.
Tom’s effort is an exception, but
models with full fuselages typically look
best with three-dimensional crews and
surroundings. Because single-engine,
rubber-powered types often have their
motors at the same level as the cockpit or
near that level, it might be impractical, if
not impossible, to make a full cockpit.
One solution is to use thin balsa sheet
as a “floor” placed at, or just below, the
level of the top of the cockpit sides.
When painted flat black, this hides the
open structure of the fuselage interior and
helps to create an illusion of cockpit depth.
I have occasionally painted sheet
cockpit “floors” to make it appear as
though you could see into the cockpit
with all of its three-dimensional details. I
admit that this is a bit fussy and is not
much more effective than painting the
“floor” flat black.
For those areas of the cockpit above
the artificial floor, all structures that are
visible in the full-scale aircraft should be
realistically presented in the model.
Those portions of the pilot and crew that
are visible should also have as much
detail as possible. It is important to paint
the cockpit and crew to resemble their
full-scale counterparts.
When modeling a multiengine
airplane, particularly one with engines
that are not in the fuselage, there is an
opportunity to make a three-dimensional
cockpit and crew. A simple “floorboard,”
as I mentioned, might be sufficient for a
subject in which the cockpit interior is
difficult to see.
However, when building an aircraft
with an open or clearly visible interior,
there is reason to consider what some
might see as a forbidding project. I did so
when I decided to scratch-build a 1/24-
scale rubber-powered reproduction of a
German Junkers Ju 88.
Although some Ju 88s were flown with
solid noses, I elected to model mine after
one that flew in the Battle of Britain. That
meant that everything in the cockpit had
to be on view.
The Ju 88 in 1940 usually carried
crews of four who huddled in cockpits
that were not much larger than telephone
booths. When these airplanes started
failing to return from missions over
England, the British learned about their
unique crew arrangements. The
awkwardness and complexity of that
placement gave rise to many bawdy
comments and cartoons in the British
press.
Covering the intricacies of carving
pilot figures is beyond the scope of this
effort, but I usually carve the pilot busts
for my models from fine Styrofoam or
balsa block. To make an entire figure I use
small pieces of balsa block to represent
the chest, torso, hands, and feet.
Limbs are fashioned from pieces of
soft floral wire, to which I adhere bits of
strip balsa to represent the bony portions.
Ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows, and
shoulders retain their flexibility by not
covering the wire with balsa.
I add small pieces of cotton to the torso
and limbs to create the look of muscle
bulk. Over that I apply small pieces of
Japanese tissue to simulate flight suits. I
fashion life jackets, belts, and straps from
bits of foam, balsa, or paper.
Feet are carved to represent the look of
flight boots. Hands are either carved and
painted a flesh color or are made to look
as if they are gloved.
I carve and paint a pilot’s face and
head. Such details as goggles,
headphones, etc. are added to the flying
helmet, which is then painted
appropriately.
Figures are initially made in a standing
position. A photo of my Ju 88 crew before
installation shows this.
Once crew members are fully painted
and detailed, I carefully bend their arms
and legs to facilitate placement in the
model. I might also position a figure’s
head or arm to simulate a response to
something that would occur during flight.
This is pointless when the model is in
flight, but it often delights those who
examine the aircraft before or after it flies.
When I constructed the Ju 88, a large
number of cockpit photos and drawings
were available but no dimensions were
given. Highly detailed plastic models have
come onto the market since then, making
it possible to obtain three-dimensional
details that can be scaled up to the size
needed for a flying model.
I am fortunate to live in Cleveland,
Ohio, which is only a few hours from the
National Museum of the United States Air
Force, located in Dayton, Ohio. It houses
one of the largest collections of military
aircraft in the world.
Having written for modeling and
aviation magazines since the mid-1960s, I
used my “credentials” to get permission
from the museum to inspect a Romanian
Ju 88 that was captured during World War
II. The exterior had been fully restored
and repainted to its original colors, but the
cockpit was another story.
I arrived in the early afternoon on a
very hot, sunny summer day. The Ju 88
was sitting in full sunlight on the tarmac. I
conservatively estimated that the
temperature inside the cockpit well
exceeded 100° when I entered it. The
longer I stayed, the hotter it became.
I spent close to 11/2 hours in that sauna,
but I measured and photographed every
inch of it. To facilitate my measurements,
I brought photographs and drawings of Ju
88 cockpits.
As I mentioned, the precise dimensions
of these details were not included in the
photographs or drawings. My mission was
to measure them accurately and record
them for my project. I used that
information to detail the model. The data
is still in my files.
I went on to complete the Ju 88 with a
scale interior and full crew. Although it
caused some of my friends to shudder, I
December 2010 145
flew the model several times before it
was “shot down” over the fields of
Geneseo.
The damaged Junkers now sits
partially repaired, awaiting its return to
active duty. A few of the crew members
have been posted to other models and are
still flying. Such are the needs and
pressures of FF Scale “war.”
Jack McGillivray passed away August
19, 2010. To those of us who are or are
near his age, it seems that he left us too
soon. Scripture tells us that a man’s life
shall be three score and ten years. By that
standard, Jack, who left us at age 75, had
a full life.
When a friend departs this life, it is
natural for us to mourn. But it is also
important that we give thanks for the
privilege of friendship and shared
moments.
My friendship with Jack began in the
early 1970s. I had just joined the
Cleveland Free Flight Society (CFFS)
and met Jack at a club contest. He was a
soft-spoken gentleman with a charming,
but keen, wit.
He made his living as a product
designer in Toronto. Since I had once
studied industrial design, we hit it off
well on multiple levels.
His models were usually scratch-built,
with strategically placed structures kept
to a bare minimum. It was rare to see
more than eight ribs in a wing, and the
tail-surface structures often consisted
only of laminated outlines.
Jack’s tissue coverings were incredibly
smooth, and I suspected that he somehow
stiffened and stretched the materials before
applying them to his airframes. His models
often seemed to fly forever.
Gentleman Jack became a tiger in the air.
Gordon Roberts, another mild-mannered type
with a voracious appetite for winning, often
winced at the thought of dueling with Jack,
whether it was indoors or out.
To compete with Jack was a privilege.
To lose to him was a sting with honor. To
win an event in which Jack competed was
sublime.
His accomplishments were legendary
and his honors were numerous. Imagine my
surprise and disbelief at the realization that
he was not admitted to the Flying Aces
Club Hall of Fame in his lifetime!
Gordon Roberts, the FAC’s “Ace of
Aces,” was aghast at the fact, as were
several other CFFS members. Steps were
immediately taken to remedy this.
FAC Commander in Chief Ross P.
Mayo was contacted with the request that
Jack be nominated for posthumous
admission to the FAC Hall of Fame at the
next induction, during the 2012 FAC Nats.
Oversight might have been the reason for
Jack’s omission in life, but FACers can
make things right by voting unanimously
for his inclusion in 2012.
As I was about to submit this column for
publication, Ross Mayo sent an e-mail
announcing Juanita Reichel’s retirement
from the editorship of Flying Aces Club
News. She took the position shortly after
I enjoy reading about real
accomplishments related to Aero
Modeling, not media hype.
Then there is the “Green” power BS.
Carbon footprint for your electric
exceeds that of Methanol power. Just the
toxic footprint of the battery
manufacture alone is enough to outweigh
the fuel, let alone all the losses in the
charging cycle.
I am pleased that you published all
this crap prior to my Membership
renewal. I’ll go buy a park flyer with the
money I saved. Not!
Please do yourself and AMA a favor
and count up the similar responses.
PS the only real modeling article in
Sept. was about the corrugated cardboard
Hayate CL plane. Nice work and
innovation. I first saw a corrugated CL in
1958! This one was much more refined.
Thomas Pomeroy
via e-mail
Thank you for sharing your thoughts,
Mr. Pomeroy. One goal of the magazine
the death of her husband, Lin, in mid-2008.
They led the FAC for more than 30
years and played major roles in its
phenomenal growth and success as an FF
organization with international fame and
worldwide membership. A shy person by
nature, Juanita was a mainstay of the FAC;
her retirement is well deserved. I hope she
will continue to support the FAC as new
leaders take it to even greater heights in
the future.
Juanita’s successor as editor has not
been “officially” announced. Pending
further information, all correspondence,
dues payments, inquiries, etc. should be
directed to Ross P. Mayo. See “Sources”
for his address.
Season blessings to all of you and to your
loved ones. May 2011 see all of us still
enjoying the greatest hobby in the world! MA
Sources:
National Museum of the US Air Force
(937) 255-3286
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Cleveland Free Flight Society:
Rich Weber (president)
[email protected]
Flying Aces Club:
Ross P. Mayo (FAC commander in chief)
4207 Crosswinds Dr.
Erie PA 16506
(814) 836-1299 (emergency only)
[email protected]
Aero Mail
Continued from page 7
Are you trying to find an aeromodeling club
in your area, state, or district?
Log on to www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx
to find an AMA chartered club near you!
is to support the fun that aeromodeling
brings. Your opinion is counted.
Michael Ramsey
MA Editor
Bugatti 100P Replica
My good friend—and AMA
member—Kevin Ganz of Erie,
Pennsylvania alerted me to the beautiful
scale Bugatti 100P model on page 48 of
the October 2010 edition of Model
Aviation.
A note about the engines: the engines
installed in the plane were not V-8s, but
Bugatti T50B, in-line eight-cylinder
engines. These engines were
mechanically supercharged and produced
in excess of 450 HP each!
My team is building a full-scale, flying
replica of this most extraordinary aircraft,
something that has never been
accomplished. I invite your readers to
visit www.bugattiaircraftreplica.com if
they would like to follow our progress.
The replica—like the original—is built
largely of balsa and construction is much
like building a large model airplane. Scotty
Wilson
Tulsa, Oklahoma
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